Safe in the Arms of Love
by Squall'sScar
Summary: Setsuna runs away to save Sara's future. But is he really saving it or destroying it, instead?
1. Chapter 1

First, I realize that Kira is out of character. Second, I could wish for eternity, but Setsuna and Sara will never belong to me. The great thinker of modern times, Kaori Yuki owns these characters, from Angel Sanctuary, whom I pray every night to come to life and be my friends. Except Setsuna. I pray that a medical test will prove I'm his blood sister.

Safe In The Arms of Love

By Squall's Scar

Chapter 1

Setsuna sees a figure running towards him. The weather is beautiful. A sweet, sunny warmth envelops him as the figure gets closer. The figure stands in front of him, awaiting his reaction. His heart races at his never-to-be-lover tortures him with her presence. Eternity awaits him in that figure, he knows it. He swears by all that is holy that he will not ruin that pure angel with his beastly hands. He sees her sweet angelic smile, begging him to be with her, never to let her go, to protect her. The two figures stand facing each other, breathing hard, both fighting against their yearnings. Both cursing their fate. Both end up letting love prevail over all else. Setsuna extends his hand to his forbidden lover. She takes it and allows Setsuna to pull him to her. Tears form in his eyes as he holds his beloved. As his tears trickle down his cheek, clouds move in just over them. It begins to rain. The two don't care. They look longingly into the other's eyes, letting the rain soak them. Setsuna tightens his hold on the girl. The girl does the same to him. Lightning flashes in the sky at their passion. A trembling Setsuna wipes his eyes and lifts her chin up with his finger. The cold beating rain sends shivers down their spines. They answer by keeping each other warm with tight embraces. Thunder claps dangerously close by at their touch. He sees her tears and kisses them away, in a promise to love her forever. She sees his tears and reciprocates the action. Her face in his hands invites him for a closer sense of touch. Their lips meet at a turning point in the dream. But lightning strikes the forbidden couple at their kiss…

Setsuna jolts out of bed, breathing hard after that dream, as his alarm clock goes off. The thunder and lightning were just a dream…his love wasn't in his arms. Cursing, he gets up and tries for forget the recurring dream. Realizing he's going to be late for his first day of his last year at college, he rushes to get dressed. Within minutes, he is ready for school and runs out of the door. On his way to school, he takes out a pocket watch and opens it. On one side is a clock that reads 7:45. On the other side is a picture of a beautiful, young girl with long, silky hair. The one he was dreaming about last night. His forbidden true love. Her eyes are large and shining. A pointed nose pokes out at him over perfect, kissable lips.

He lets his fingers linger a little longer on the picture before he mutters, with eyes moist, "Sara."

His heart soars on velvet wings as he thinks about the fact that the young girl loves him as much as he loves her. There is only one thing that stands in the way of their fairy tale ending. Setsuna and Sara are brother and sister, related by blood. It would be against every love law made in Heaven and Earth for them to pursue their love for each other. So Setsuna left. He left the family, the country, the life he had lead, and even his friends, except Kira. Besides Kira, he left everything. So Sara could live the life she deserved. Kira's voice disturbs his thoughts.

"Setsuna, you're going to be late for your first day."

Setsuna looks up. When he told Kira his decision to leave everything behind so Sara could be happy, Kira insisted to go with him. He knew Kira had his own problems with his father. So, Setsuna allowed Kira to come with him to America. They both enrolled at George Washington University in the capital of the United States, Washington D. C. Kira and Setsuna enrolled at the university as physics majors and took the hardest classes offered to keep Setsuna's mind off of the home and family and love he left behind. It has worked somewhat. He doesn't think about his home and family much. But Sara occupies his mind every second, every minute, every hour of every day.

Setsuna and Kira both have made the Dean's List and get invited to countless parties. Setsuna skips out on the parties, preferring to stay home and have his free time alone. But Kira goes and enjoys himself, always coming back the next morning, telling Setsuna what a wonderful time he had missed. Setsuna wakes up on those mornings, with a picture in his hand of a beautiful girl with perfect, kissable lips, who is forbidden, and tears that have dried throughout the night. Setsuna is especially proud of the fact that he has been given admission to the medical school for next year, completing four years worth of work in only three years. Kira is very proud of his friend, as well, always trying to introduce him to his female friends. But Setsuna doesn't pay attention to them, often standing silent as the girls ask him questions about himself. He only wants one girl, one moment in time to hold that girl in his arms and feel his heart truly beat. One girl to love and protect forever. But she is back home not here. He curses.

Recently, Setsuna began to notice that Kira began to hide things from him, more than normal. He decides to go through Kira's stuff to see if drugs were the problem, but he couldn't find any. Instead, there are love poems, strings of blonde hair, and unsent letters with different types of confessions. The problem is that they are anonymous. The letters aren't addressed with a name. The love poems aren't written describing someone in particular. Just a beautiful girl. Setsuna laughs when he realizes his best friend is in love. He makes a mental note to follow Kira's eyes in class to see which girl they land upon. Then, he would help him woo her.

Entering their first day of class, Setsuna takes a seat in front to keep his mind off of distractions of latecomers and the door opening, like he has been doing for the past couple of years. Kira grabs the empty seat next to him. Immediately, Setsuna smiles at him wondering where his eyes are wandering to. But Kira's eyes remain fixated on him.

"Setsuna, you missed a great party last night. The girls there were really putting out everything they had," Kira winks.

Setsuna decides this is the perfect time to find out who this girl is.

Setsuna sighs, "I'm glad you had a great time, Kira. So, did you find anyone you like?"

Kira ignores his comment, "I met this great girl for you. She's beautiful, smart, funny, serious, caring, and an all-round nice girl. When can you meet her?"

This time, Setsuna ignores his comment.

_I only want one girl! Why can't the world let me be with the one girl I love! No one understands! I can't take much more! SARA! _

Before class, the professor grabs her books and notes and prepares for her biology class. She is excited about her first day teaching in a new country. The only reason she left her country to teach here was because her daughter had won admission with a full scholarship at the university. She wasn't about to let her only daughter run free in a strange country without her mother. Especially after her daughter's problems with a particular boy. She shakes her head, trying to forget the past. This is a new beginning. Her daughter enrolled as a physics major to keep herself busy. She preferred arts to sciences, but didn't want to disappoint her mother, so she registered as a physics/pre-med major. Her mother knew what her daughter was doing, but she decided to let her make her mistakes. When her daughter would fail, then they could go back home and she could give her a normal education. She is also nervous because the vice-chairman of the department is going to sit through her first class to evaluate her. She steps into the classroom and sets her books down. Turning to the class, she introduces herself.

"Good morning class. I'm Professor Mudou."

Setsuna's head jerks up. Professor Mudou sees a head pop up and out of curiosity, she turns to look at the student. A moment of silence passes between them that seems to last forever. A lump forms in Setsuna's throat at seeing his mother whom he left years ago. The first emotion that races through him is fear. He is terrified that his mother will hurt him for showing his face. He is scared of what might take place if she tries to acknowledge her son in front of the class. She might kill him on the spot. He freezes waiting for his death from the woman who gave him his cursed life.

Realizing that the vice-chairman is in her class, Professor Mudou recovers and begins her lecture. She wants to jump on Setsuna and cut him into little pieces alive. She feels bile rise up in her throat, disgusted at seeing her son. Her feelings are mixed. She still loves him as his mother, but is still upset with him. He almost ruined her daughter's life. What was she going to do now? She would have to think of something before things got worse.

After lecture, Setsuna leaves with Kira, never publicly acknowledging his own mother. Kira and Setsuna head to their next class, chemistry. Just before class begins, a powerful, familiar scent touches his nostrils. His head spins, but he buries his head in his book. Kira notices the change in Setsuna. Within seconds, the professor walks in and starts lecture. Setsuna isn't able to concentrate on lecture with the familiar scent. Kira makes an exception and is sure to take good notes for Setsuna. After lecture, Setsuna and Kira head to the café for lunch. The scent has left Setsuna weak in memories. Kira pulls Setsuna out of class and asks him what's wrong.

"Nothing…actually, did you smell anything in class?"

Kira laughs, "No! My olfactory senses are not as strong as yours! Especially after all the stuff I smoke! Why? What did you smell?"

Setsuna shrugs, "Nothing."

The same scent haunts Setsuna's nose again that moment. Setsuna becomes light-headed and looks around him to see who the scent belongs to. His heart stops as a lovely vision appears before him. It couldn't be…

"…Sara…"

© Squall's Scar 2002


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Angel Sanctuary does not belong to me, nor do Sara and Setsuna L. But I have tried to bribe Kaori Yuki into letting me have them for this fic. Wait, that's a lie. But, when I become a millionaire, I will most definitely try to! Anyway, I'm still waiting for the results of the medical test to see if I'm Setsuna's blood sister. Oh yes, Sara is more mature and understanding in this fic, according to her age.

SARA AND SETSUNA FOREVER! Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Sara feels two eyes boring a hole through her. Turning around, she sees Setsuna. Time stops and they both freeze as their hearts race. Setsuna tries to hide his smile but does a poor job of it. Kira tries to break the ice.

He calls, "Sara, how would you like to buy me lunch and see my room afterwards?"

Trying not to tremble, Sara walks up to the men and sits down; two pairs of eyes never leaving each other. Sara is the first to break her gaze.

Calmly, she greets, "How are you, Kira? It seems we'll be brother and sister from now on."

Setsuna's eyes almost pop out of his head. Kira gives her a serious, cold look of disbelief. Stealing a quick glimpse of Setsuna, Sara gets lost in his golden brown eyes with a tinge of honey in them. Kira's voice brings her back to reality.

"Sara, what do you mean we're brother and sister? The only one here who is your brother is…"

Emotionally Sara cuts in, "No, Kira! My mother fell in love with and married your father. We are related by name, now."

Setsuna turns to look at his best friend, who just became his brother within mere seconds. Kira gets up and leaves, pulling out a cigarette from his shirt pocket. Setsuna is torn between staying with the one he loves and going after the man who loves him. Over time, Setsuna came to realize that Kira loved him more than anyone, or else he would never leave his father. His father was the most important person to Kira. That's why Kira couldn't hurt him. Setsuna could never understand why he would put himself through so much pain for his father. He did everything to distance himself from that man, but it only ended with him falling more deeper in love. This was why Kira thought of women as objects to be toyed with. Because he could never have his father, never love him properly. The way a son should love his father. Of course, Setsuna didn't know about that kind of father-son love. His own father left his family behind for another woman. Women were bad, according to Setsuna and Kira. But Sara was no woman. She was an angel, a goddess, a shining star that could not be caught to make a wish on. No she wasn't, because if she was, Setsuna and Sara would not be a brother and sister deeply, madly, and passionately in love with each other, who had to run to another country to save the other. They would be together without following the society-labeled "love laws," the one that says you can't truly love your sibling.

Wanting to keep one foot on the boat, and the other foot on the pier, he grabs Sara's hand and runs with her to find Kira. Running out the door, he sees Kira heading toward the Biology building, where their next class is. He runs over to the building and realizes that Kira is entering the building. Setsuna runs into the building, tired and out of breath. He watches Kira enter the boy's bathroom and follows him there, without realizing that it's a boy's bathroom and Sara is not a boy. Running into the empty bathroom, he forgets that he has to catch his breath. Kira is standing by the window, looking out, propping his body with one hand against the wall.

Setsuna spits out, breathless, "Kira, what's wrong?"

Sara finally speaks, "Kira, are you alright?"

Kira's body stiffens when he hears their voices.

A harsh whisper answers, "Don't you know this is a boy's bathroom?"

Balling his hands into a fist, Kira walks over to the door, with his back turned to them. Needing privacy with the other two, he locks the bathroom door, to protect Sara, who shouldn't have been there, in the first place. When the door is locked, he slams his fist against the wall, not knowing what to say. Setsuna takes Sara to sit on top of the radiator in the bathroom, since there was no chair, while he stands across from her.

Finally, Kira finds his voice or rather his whisper, "What right do you have to come here and tell me that we're brothers and sisters!"

Both Setsuna and Sara freeze in shock.

Kira continues, "Do you know, Sara, how much pain Setsuna has gone through all these years trying to make you happy? Do you know what he has went through all these years without you? Do you know what I went through all these years?"

He turns to look at them both. Breathing erratic, he put his hand to his chest.

"Setsuna and I, we had our whole lives planned out. Not one of our plans included you, Sara! We don't need you! How dare you follow him to another country? You have no right to an opinion in so strong a decision!"

Sara utters, "I…I understand."

Tears fill her eyes, as she continues her impassioned plea, "But I'm not sorry! You have no idea what it is like to love someone, Kira! You can never understand the pain and anguish I went through searching for three years to find the one I love!"

Kira turns his back to her, "I have no idea what it is like, you say? After I went through so many lies for Setsuna, telling him that I was having fun at parties, when I was really doing the same thing he was, loving you!"

Setsuna and Sara are stunned speechless.

Kira turns to face her with moisture streaming down his cheeks, "I love you, Sara. I love you so much…"

© Squall's Scar 2002


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: YESSSS! The results of the medical test have come back! I'm Setsuna's sister! Setsuna, here I come! Ooops, Kaori Yuuki owns Angel Sanctuary.

Chapter 3

Before another word can be spoken, a loud voice yells from outside the bathroom door, "Who is in there! Unlock this door at once!"

Like a signpost, Kira points them to the window, as Setsuna grabs Sara and runs to the glass escape route. Opening it, he jumps out first, so he can break Sara's fall from the one floor drop. Quickly, getting up, he looks up and stretches his arms out to catch Sara. She jumps down after him, landing straight into his open arms, pushing him to the ground with her weight. Under Sara, Setsuna finds himself reluctant to get up. He wants to wrap his arm around her tiny frame, but he feels her get up off of him. Confused about what to do for her or say to her after Kira's confession of love, he gets up and brushes himself off of the twigs and dirt and grass. Then, he turns to Sara and does the same for her. Sara shies away from him and dusts herself off. He stands there surprised. He expected it, knowing that he had been gone too long. But, maybe a cruel twist of fate had occurred.

What if Sara loved Kira, too? He had been gone for too long. How could he expect her to stay in love with him when he had turned his back on her and ran away from her? What if Kira had picker her up and taken care of her while he was so busy trying to forget her? Had they been in contact secretly over the years he had stayed away? But, he couldn't believe Sara could plunge the knife into his back. It had to be that Kira loved her all along and just now decided to reveal it. He was always teasing her and flirting with her. But, he always thought that it was because she was his sister. Shaking his head, he ran to his next class before he made the decision to leave this country, too.

In the next class, he notices Sara is there, except this time, Kira is hanging from her shoulder. He tries his best not to cause a scene by walking up to Kira and beating him up in front of everybody. When class ends, he walks right up to Kira, not caring what Sara thought.

Kira smiles, "Setsuna! Yo!"

He grabs Kira by his collar, surprising the other students. Sara gasps, but follows their quick steps. Outside Setsuna speaks with a low tone.

"What is your problem?"

Kira smiles, "Nothing. I'm just flirting with the woman I love. Is that a problem?"

Setsuna turns to Sara to see her reaction.

She punches Kira's arm, "Stop joking around. I have to go back to class or else Mother will worry. See you two around."

Setsuna couldn't believe this. She threw off Kira's confession of love as a joke? He turned to face Kira just in time to see him pull out a cigarette.

After lighting up the cigarette, Kira shakes his head, "That woman…"

Immediately, Setsuna goes back to threatening Kira.

"Kira, what was that about? Why did you do that?"

Taking a puff on his cigarette, Kira smirks, "Oy, Setsuna, get a hold of yourself. You wanted to run away from her, didn't you? You're the one who left her. Her reason for studying here might not be you anymore. You have no right to suddenly say I can't have her, when you turned your back on her."

Expecting Setsuna to scream obscenities at him, he is surprised when he feels a raging fist meet with his jaw. Setsuna stands over Kira's fallen form.

"You bastard! I love Sara! I betrayed her because I love her! I don't expect you to understand!"

Kira reaches for Setsuna's figure as he watches it turn and run away.

Slumping over, he curses, "So you still can't love me, Setsuna?"

Setsuna runs to the other side of the building, where he bumps into Sara, knocking her to the ground.

Both break out in unison, "I'm sorry."

Setsuna blushes seeing Sara's face turn away from him.

Wrinkling his eyebrows at her show of disgust for him, he asks, "Are you alright, Sara?"

Before she can answer, Kira jumps on her, covering her face with kisses.

Sara pushes him off, shouting, "Kira, get away! I told you to stop joking!"

She gasps when she sees his face so close to hers, with his eyes filled with unshed tears.

Kira whispers, "I'm not joking. I love you."

Setsuna pulls Kira off of Sara and throws him to the ground.

Ignoring Setsuna's curses, Kira calls out, "Sara, where are you going? I wanted you to buy me lunch!"

Sara's face pales, "I have to go now. Mother says that I should never speak to Setsuna again, or she'll kill him."

She gets up to leave. Setsuna's vision blurs for a moment. He realizes he's about to faint. Grabbing on to Kira, he tries to breathe. Sara leaves without another word.

Kira calls after her, "Where did Setsuna come from? I didn't even mention his name! Wait, Sara! You forgot to buy me lunch!"

Sara doesn't hear him. Setsuna doesn't see her walk off. His head spins and he loses consciousness for a moment. When he wakes up, a couple of minutes later, he finds Kira pouring his soda over his head.

Setsuna jumps up, crying, "What is your problem!"

Kira laughs, "You passed out. Let's go home and get you cleaned up. Our next class starts in a little bit."

Setsuna seethes with anger, but leaves willingly with Kira. The moment that Sara spoke, Setsuna felt his head spin and knew he wouldn't be able to watch her leave. The emotions were too much for him. He had been trying to forget her for three years, and now she walks in and every dream he had of getting his life in order have been destroyed. Now that he has felt his heart truly beat and his mind open up and his body react to his dreams, he doesn't want to go back to the way things were. He wants to live in this dream forever and never wake up. He can't go back to sleeping with her picture every night and waking up with dried tears in the morning. He can't continue having that dream of holding her and getting struck by lightning. His throat chokes and he can't swallow. It's more than lump in his throat. The pain shoots through his chest. His heart feels a sharp stab. Grabbing his left side, Setsuna leans on Kira for support until they reach the car.

They leave in their car, which they spent so long saving up for. Setsuna and Kira both work at the hospital as nurses. Many of the female doctors make passes at Setsuna, but not one will go near Kira. They know that he is only working there for the prescription drugs he writes out to himself and stamps the doctor's signature on them. The only thing that keeps him from getting caught is that he destroys the records with his supernatural powers. That's how he got into this university in the first place. He changed his records, which made him seem like the model student. Setsuna, on the other hand, worked very hard to get where he was right now. Setsuna never hated Kira for cheating his way through life. Kira's life wasn't his own, anyway. At home, Setsuna worries about his meeting with Sara. Kira comes in and tries to calm Setsuna down.

Kira offers, helpfully, "Don't get so confused."

In a calm anger, Setsuna hisses, "I'm not confused."

Kira laughs, "You have no idea whether you should break those fragile, but sacred love laws or run away again."

Setsuna feels nothing except the pounding of his head. It's as if someone is driving a nail through his head with a hammer.

Setsuna shouts, "Get away from me, Kira!"

Kira shakes his head, mockingly.

"I knew that you two would end up meeting again. I just didn't know when or where. I wondered how you would react."

Enraged, a confused Setsuna grabs his jacket, and the car keys and leaves. Kira runs out after him, but only in time to watch him pull out and drive away. Gasping for air, Kira stands outside and notices a figure running up to him. He reminds himself to cut back on the drugs and cigarettes.

Recognizing her, he mutters, "Sara."

Sara runs up to him and out of breath, she asks what happened. Kira realizes what she was doing.

He chuckles, "I didn't think you'd follow Setsuna home. You both are full of surprises."

She wrinkles her eyebrows, "What are you talking about? Where is Setsuna going?"

Kira answers, smartly, "To kill himself."

Sara looks at Kira and wonders if he's serious.

Her look of amazement quickly disappears as Kira shouts, "Come on! We've got to find him!"

She runs to her car parked on the street. She opens the door to the driver's seat, but never expects Kira to snatch the keys out of her hand.

She protests, "Give me my keys!"

Kira gently picks her up and carries her over to the passenger's side. She struggles as Kira unlocks the door and puts her in the passenger's seat then buckles her seat belt for her.

She demands, "What are you doing! This is MY car! Kira!"

Getting into the driver's seat, he buckles up. Panting from the exertion of struggling with her, she hears him grumbling about reminding himself to give up smoking. He starts the car and shifts gears to pull out of the driveway.

Panicked, she cries, "Kira, where's Setsuna? What's going on?"

Kira ignores her questions.

"Sara, help me look for Setsuna. Look in every crevice that I might miss."

Seeing the look of the devil in Kira's eyes, she can only shake her head up and down in compliance. Looking out the window of her car, she searches the streets for her beloved brother, Setsuna. Tears stream down her face at the thought of losing Setsuna. He can't kill himself. What happened that he wants to kill himself? Her confusion only leads to more tears.

Kira gets tired of her tears and demands, "Sara! What is wrong? We've searched the whole town! We've got to broaden our search for Setsuna. Help me!"

She turns to Kira, "You want me to help you! Fine! Head for the ocean! Now tell me what is going on with Setsuna!"

Kira sighs and realizes that there is more emotion between the two siblings than he realized. How would Sara know to look for him near the ocean? Maybe she's taking a guess. But, then why would she wait so long to tell him, endangering Setsuna's life? She would have told him the minute she knew where Setsuna was. She couldn't hate him this much to WANT him to die for leaving her for three years. Kira heads for the water and renews his search for Setsuna.

Sara's eyes search the cliffs of the Chesapeake Bay.

_We've driven pretty far. I wonder which ocean he has reached by now. It took me so long to get here. Forgive me, Setsuna for making you wait so long. Setsuna…_

Kira wonders, aloud, "Sara, do you hate Setsuna so much that you waited this long to tell me or are you taking a guess at his whereabouts?"

Sara mumbles, "He needed time to think things through."

"What?"

With tears streaming, she loses control, "Nothing, Kira. Just get us to the cliffs!"

Seeing the passion and determination in her eyes, he doesn't question her. Two people who love the same man find Setsuna's car near the cliffs, just like Sara said. Getting out of the car, they head out to look for him. Sara runs to the cliffs, and Kira can only follow her. Spotting Setsuna at the edge of the cliff, Sara gasps in horror. Setsuna is leaning on the hand bars, deep in thought. Without thinking, she runs to him, tears streaming down her cheeks, with open arms.

Kira stumbles after her, out of breath, grumbling, "That's it! I am going to give up smoking forever!"

Setsuna turns around feeling his heart race as someone runs up to him, crying his name.

_SARA! What is she doing here? Does she know what I am about to do?_

"SETSUNA!"

Sara runs into Setsuna's arms. Trembling, and in tears, she hides her face in his chest, afraid to see if Kira was telling the truth. Setsuna feels tears in his own eyes at Sara's sadness. Lifting her chin up with his finger, he looks into her eyes.

Filled with emotion, Setsuna is only able to whisper, "Sara, what are you doing here?"

Sara looks into his eyes and answers, "Setsuna, I…I…I want to know what you are doing here."

He grunts, "I was just thinking."

Kira finally catches up with the two. Huffing and puffing, he sits on a rock.

Setsuna looks at Kira and comments, "Kira, you need to give up the drugs and smoking!"

Kira flashes Setsuna a nasty look that broadcasts revenge for the smart remark. In their relief, the three never notice another figure lurking behind them near the trees. The figure smiles cynically.


End file.
